Thursday, October 29, 2009

Boyds® Ollie & Blizzard are ready to add a little jingle to your festivities! Accented with shiny bells that really ring and plenty of handstitched details, they’re guaranteed to put you in the holiday spirit. Just for our online friends, these sweet little fellas are brand new from the Boyds® collection.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Okay guys, we put all your heartwarming comments into the big red bucket and pulled out three lucky winners...here are their memories!

One of our Christmas tradition is not to forget the animals on our farm. All
of the horse stalls are decorated with equine-edible ornaments. THere's a tree
outside, that we hang suet & nuts for the birds & small animals, so they
can enjoy the festivities, too. My daughter makes up a special "Christmas" meal
for the horses, with oats, carrots & apples & distributes that to all
the horses right after the humans eat breakfast & open stockings. The
greatest gift is sharing with those you love, seeing even the 4-legged family
members having a Merry Christmas!

Posted by: Kelly | October
27, 2009 at 08:05 AM

A favorite tradition while growing up was lots of baking. With my mom and 3
other sisters, we would bake up our favorite cookies, breads and candies. Each
had their job. Then we made gift plates and delivered them to our grandmothers,
elder aunts, and a few nuns that had taught most of us 6 kids. Upon delivery we
sang a few Christmas carols. As the years went by we added our boy/girlfriends -
then spouses. It was such a wonderful time for all of us. You could so see and
feel the Christmas joy in all the elders. Now as we grow older....Our
grandparents, parents and elder relatives are having a wonderful time in heaven,
and we have made a next generation of traditions. Since all sisters live in a
different city, we bring our favorite cookies, candies and breads to one sisters
home in the Twin Cities. There we make up our trays for our inlaws and other
special people we want to deliver to. Christmas Eve all 6 brothers and sisters,
their spouses and children come together for a wonderful dinner and the sharing
of our homemade goodies. It is such a special blessed time of the year and our
children will be passing the traditions that have been passed down. I am already
getting very excited about this years festivities.

Posted by: Mollie T. Biggs | October
27, 2009 at 11:54 AM

My favorite tradition is making a "breakfast from Mrs.Claus". for the little
ones.I pack up a fruit,an orange,banana,grapes or small fruit cocktail cup, a
small box of cereal,a carton of juice or milk and maybe a doughnut or special
cookie(not one of the ones we baked).I pack it in a cute gift bag with a note
from Mrs Claus herself.Like "while I was helping Santa load his sleigh I
happened to think you could be so excited on Christmas morning you might skip
breakfast and that is not good for you so I made you a little breakfast you can
eat beside the tree ! MERRY CHRISTMAS, hugs,Mrs Claus. I put them near the tree
so the children see themfirst thing.our family finds this to be great fun
and Mom and Dad have a minute to get their morning eyes open and a cup
coffee.

Posted by: Sherry Ketter | October
27, 2009 at 08:12 PM

You lucky three, look for an email from us today and send us your mailing address so we can get your bookazine in the mail!

Thanks to everyone who entered. We SO enjoyed reading all your Christmas traditions...really puts us in the mood for the holidays! Stay tuned for lots more contests & giveaways coming soon...

We were blown away by how many of you took the time to share your favorite Christmas tradition with us! Thank you...and even though Halloween is right around the corner, we are already in the holiday spirit thanks to all of you.

We'll reveal the winner of our contest later today but wanted to post a quick note to let you know how much we appreciate you.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Well, it's all the goodness of a book combined in a 112-page glossy magazine! Full of tasty holiday recipes, easy ways to deck the halls
and gifts to give from the heart, it's bursting with full-color photos and ideas that are sure to inspire your creativity.

Due out on newsstands and in bookstores in early November, it can be found wherever you pick up your favorite mags. It's so exciting for us and, since we couldn't wait to share it with you, we're giving away 3 FREE
copies right here on our blog!

How do you get YOUR hands on one?

Just leave
us a comment at the bottom of this post before midnight EST tonight telling us your favorite Christmas tradition and you'll be in the running
to win!

We'll announce who'll be getting them tomorrow morning so be sure to check back to see if you're a winner...good luck!

Monday, October 26, 2009

Hope you've received your new catalog in your
mailbox by now...and if you haven't, it's on its
way, so keep an eye out! If you have yours in
hand and are wondering about that blue dot on
the cover, we're here to answer your questions.

While we're as tickled as ever to bring you
our BIG holiday collection, we know that the
economy is affecting us all. Like lots of folks,
you may be planning to spend less this holiday
and, with that in mind, we've tried our best to
fill our new catalog with affordable, from-the-heart goodies perfect for gift-giving. We also understand that each & every time
you buy from Gooseberry Patch, you
make a choice to spend your hard-earned
dollars with us. As a company, we're not
immune to economic challenges and, when
we say we appreciate every order you send our
way, we mean it. Each one helps keep our little
company afloat.

We’re proud to offer you lots of ways to save. Did you know that when you buy any six
cookbooks, you’ll save 20%? Or that when you buy any 3 night lights, you’ll save $1 each? Our
personal shoppers are experts in helping you shop…and save! Just give them a ring and see.

We sincerely hope you enjoy your new catalog and happy shopping…with our many thanks!

Toss zucchini with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Transfer to a colander and let stand 10 minutes. Drain, pressing out as much liquid as possible. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, remaining salt and pepper until light and frothy. Whisk in zucchini; stir in flour. Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Drop batter by tablespoonfuls, flattening with the back of a spoon. Fry about 2 minutes on each side, until crisp and golden. Serves 4.

This recipe is definitely a keeper...and so simple to whip up! If you haven't already, read all about Debra in yesterday's post...she was as our very first Gooseberry Superstar!

Friday, October 23, 2009

Debra has been a customer for years and has been kind enough to share some of her best family recipes with us too. You may have seen her name in our cookbooks, Comfort Foods, Autumn in the Country, Fast-Fix Meals or Christmas Kitchen. One of her recipes was also selected for an upcoming book called Farmer's Market Favorites, due out early next year.

We asked Debra to share a little bit about herself...

Tell us about you, your family & your hometown?

I'm married and have three grown children, two daughters and one son. By the time this is published, I might have two grandchildren...one of my
daughters is due with our 2nd grandchild in November!

My husband & I started Heritage Corner Health Care Campus in 1982 and I absolutely love what I do. It's still a family-owned business and I'm lucky enough to work with my husband and two of my children. One of
my grandchildren even attends the child care center, which is part of our
health care campus.

Our two daughters manage and operate our child care center and are considered part owners of the company. My son is a chef and I would like to say maybe picked up his interest in cooking from me.

It seems like I used to cook more when our children were little and lived at home, now I look for quick & easy recipes to make for just my husband and I, although I love to have our whole family over for meals often.

We live in Bowling Green, Ohio which is hometown to Bowling Green State University. About half of our small population here is made up of students so we have many restaurants (lots of pizza joints!) and some great places to shop. Next time you drive down I-75 stop in and visit. Bowling Green is a really great place to raise a family, work and visit...there's always lots going on!

Aside from being a fantastic cook, what other interests keep you busy?

Well, family and work keep me pretty busy, but I am also very involved in my community. I volunteer quite a bit and serve on several community boards and committees. Most recently, I am winding up a project with three friends in which we traveled pants around town filling the pockets with money. When all is said and done, we hope to have raised over ten thousand dollars for our local Public Library!

My husband and I also enjoy traveling. We have a cottage in remote Canada in which I enjoy many hours by the fire reading my collection of Gooseberry Patch cookbooks. In fact it is there where I have the most time to cook and to copy and submit recipes!

I enjoy cooking for the other cottagers on our lake and we often have company for dinner when we are there! We also have a home in Florida where we love to take our granddaughter, who at age four, considers herself a frequent flier.

How did you first hear about Gooseberry Patch?

I first heard about Gooseberry Patch many, many years ago when I received a small 5"x7" catalog in the mail. It had the cutest black & white photograph of an old-fashioned little girl on it and when I opened it the first thing I saw was a set of cookie cutters that I knew I had to have.

I read how Gooseberry got started and admired them. From one female entrepreneur to another, I have always wanted to meet Vickie & Jo Ann but have never really had the opportunity, even though we are in the same state.

I can understand the whole “building your own business from scratch” thing and totally agree that your customers are your goodwill ambassadors. If you do a good job and stand behind your product, they will support you. Those are the values that I have in my business too.

What is your favorite Gooseberry Patch cookbook?

That is a tough one, I have quite a few that I like and, of course, would recommend all five cookbooks that have my recipes in them. But I think my favorite one, which has none of my recipes, and I think is now retired, is Simple Joys of Friendship. The book itself with the stories and the recipes was delightful to read and the companion book, Simple Joys of Christmas was also a favorite. I think I liked these so much because they were very different from the regular cookbooks and I really read the cookbooks just like I would a best seller.

What is your most often requested recipe?

I have two and for whatever reason I don’t think either one has been published. They would be a yummy salad/dessert recipe called “Apricot Jell-O® Salad” which came from my Mother and Grandmother and is a must have at holidays! The other which I have not submitted yet would be my “Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes” which I just made up when my kids were babies in the 70s and early 80s. (I promise I will turn it in soon!)

Of the recipes of yours that we've published, which is your favorite?

Well, because the season is fresh in my mind and we have been having it quite a bit, it would have to be “Crispy Zucchini Fritters”. This recipe is new and due out in the new February 2010 cookbook, so you will have to watch your mailboxes and order this book when it is released to get the recipe. But it will be well worth the wait because they are very tasty and you can’t eat just one!

Since it's Debra's favorite of the bunch, we're sharing her recipe for Crispy Zucchini Fritters tomorrow, just for YOU...see you then!

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Free regular ground shipping in the U.S.
and U.S. Military addresses (AA, AE, AP) only. Offer good through
October 22, 2009. Includes all weekly specials, online sale items and
buy & save items. No refunds or adjustments on prior orders.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Free regular ground shipping in the U.S. and U.S. Military addresses (AA, AE, AP) only. Offer good through October 22, 2009. Includes all weekly specials, online sale items and buy & save items. No refunds or adjustments on prior orders.

Our email club, that is! When you become a member, you get special notifications of last-minute finds, advance notice of sales & discounts and so much more. You can click that cute little postcard on the right to sign up anytime!

Every month, we also send out a members-only e-letter called Feather Your Nest...have you seen it? Each one is full of recipes, crafts, ideas and special sneak peeks at any online exclusives...maybe you even heard about our blog there!

Haven't been getting YOUR copy delivered right to your inbox? Be sure to sign up for our email club and don't miss another edition of Feather Your Nest!

Just in case you HAVE been missing out, here's a link to October's letter...enjoy!

Mix together pumpkin, milk, oil, eggs and sugar in a large mixing bowl; set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt and spices; add to pumpkin mixture. Stir in nuts and cranberries. Pour into three greased 9" x 5" loaf pans, filling each 1/2 full. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour, or until done. Cool completely before removing from pans. Makes 3 loaves.

We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Bake this recipe in mini loaf pans for even MORE treats to share...just
adjust the baking time accordingly and test loaves with toothpicks to
make sure they're done in the middle.